Electric-switch-operating mechanism.



No. 784,001. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. I. H. CRAY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1904.

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P. H. GRAY.

ELECTRIC SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM. Q

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12, 1904.

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F R El) E H 10K lrl (1" It A Y, OF L E A V E N W 0 it '1 ll K A N S A. S

ELECTWlfi SWlTCl'l QWEMfiiTlMG MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,001, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed March 12, 1904. Serial No. 197,851.

To all who/It it 'I M// l/ concern.-

.ln said drawings, 1 designates rails of a Be it known that I Fnnmnuox H. GRAY a track sup )orted in the usual way upon ties 2,

a a l citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State oil. Kansas, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric-Switch- (Jperating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

Myinventi on relates to an improved electri switch-operating mechanism; and my object is to provide a reliable and simple mechanism for operating switches in the circuits of electric signals for railways.

The invention consists in a longitudinal bar pivotally mounted alongside of one of the rails of a track and arranged slightly higher than the rail, so that the wheels of a car or engine passing in either direction will depress said bar, a horizontal lever operatively connected at one end to the longitudinal bar, a short vertical lever operatively connected at its lower end to the opposite end of the horizontal lever, two independent sets of compound levers held by weights in contact with the opposite sides of the upper end of the vertical lever for the purpose of normally holding the latter in a vertical position and through the instrumentality ol the horizontal lever normally retain the longitudinal bar in an elevated position, and connections between the compound levers and the circuit-eloser and the circuit-opener of the switch, whereby the circuit-closer and circuit-opener are operated by the movement of said compound levers.

in order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will now. be made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view of a section of track provided with my improved mechanism. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, taken on line ll ll of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken detail view of a longitudinal bar and its supporting members, forming part of the invention. Fig. i is a transverse section, taken on line 1V ]V of .Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line V V of Fig. 1, showing the intervening mechanism between the longitudinal bar and, the electric switch. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section oi the same, taken on bus V1 VI of Fig. 1.

l l l l l 4 l one pair, 2, of which are considerably longer than the others.

3 designates a plurality of brackets secured upon ties 2 and 2 and provided with upwardly-extending pivotally-connected links 4, pivot-ally secured at their upper ends to a longitudinal bar 5, arranged beside one of the rails and extending slightly above the latter, so the tread of the wheels of the car or engine passing over the bar in either direction will depress the same. Longitudinal bar 5 is enlarged at its central portion 6 and provided with a slot 7 for the reception of one end of a horizontal lever 8. 'lulcrumed upon a pivot 9, projecting upwardly from a block 10, secured to the top 01 ties 2. The opposite end of a lever 8 extends through a slotll in acasing 19, secured upon the outer portion of ties 2, and engages the bi't'ureated lower end of a short vertical lever 13, fulerumed upon a pin 14:, secured to the casing. Lever l3 is normally held in a vertical position by two oppositely-disposed sets of compound levers comprising bell-cranl 15 16 17, 'lulerumed upon pivots 18, secured to the casing. The lovers are alternately arrai'iged, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the short depending member 0! levers 17 will rest upon the long horizontal members of levers 16, the short member of the latter in turn resting upon the long member of levers l5. Thedependingmembers of thelatter in turn contact with the upper opposite sides oi lever 13, and thus normally retain the latter in a vertical position, which in turn normally holds the longitudinal bar 5 in an elevated position through the instrumentality of horizontal lever 8. l Vhen the compound levers are at rest, their longitudinal members are supported by stops 19, secured to the casing; the longitudinal members being normally held in contact with the stops by weights 20, secured to the outer ends of levers 17. By arranging the compound levers as shown and described it is evident that when disturbed by the depression of bar 5 they will exert a poweri'ul pressure on the upper end of vertical lever 12-3 and will immediately return the latter to a vertical position and reelevate bar 5 to its normal position when the same is relieved of the pressure of the wheels.

21 designates the electric switch, which is supported on a partition 22 in the upper portion of the casing, said switch being provided with a circuit-closer 23 and a circuit-opener 24, similar to those shown in my application filed February 1, 1904:, Serial No. 191,481.

25 designates a pair of adjustable rods interposed between the outer ends of levers 15, circuit-closer 23, and circuit-opener 24.

When a train approaches from the direction indicated by arrow a, bar 5 will be depressed, by being swung in said direction, and swing lever 8 to the position indicated by dot-ted lines, Fig. 1, causing it to swing the upper end of lever 13 to the right and elevate the longitudinal members of levers 15 16 17 at the right-hand side of the casing, and thus complete the circuit by elevating the lower member 23 into contact with the upper member 23" of the circuit-closer. A train passing in the opposite direction will swing the upper end of lever 13 to the left, causing it to operate the compound levers at that side of the case and. elevate member 24 out of contact with point 24 of the circuit-opener. Thus by locating the switches in reverse positions at the opposite ends of a block or section of track a train entering said section willoperate the circuit-closer and set thesignals, which will remain in said position until the circuit is opened by the train operating the circuitopener of the switch at the opposite end of the track-section. Longitudinal bar 5 is of such length that the rear wheel of a coach will contact with one end thereof before the front wheels leave its opposite end, so said bar will be held in a depressed position until the train has passed thereover.

From the above description it is apparent that I have produced a mechanism for operating electric switches which is simple in construction and operation and tl'roroughl y eti'ective for the purpose intended.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is

1. In a mechanism of the character described, a longitudinal bar adapted to be depressed by a car passing in either direction, a horizontal lever operatively connected at one end to the longitudinal bar, a short vertical lever operatively connected to the opposite end of the longitudinal lever, an electric switch, and suitable intervening mechanism operatively connecting the switch. with the vertical lever.

2. In a mechanism of the character described, a longitudinal bar adapted to be depressed by a car passing in either direction, a horizontal lever operatively connected at one end to the longitudinal bar, compound levers operatively connected to the opposite end of the horizontal lever, and an electric switch operatively connected to the compound levers.

3. In a mechanism of the character described, a longitudinal bar adapted to be depressed by a car passing in either direction, brackets secured to the ties of a track, links pivotally secured at their opposite ends to the longitudinal bar and the brackets, a horizontal lever operatively connected at one end to the longitudinal bar, an electric switch, and intervening mechanism operatively connecting the switch to the horizontal lever.

1. In a mechanism of the character described, a longitudinal bar arranged to swing endwise in either direction, an electric switch having a circuit-closer and a circuit-opener, a set of levers connected to the circuit-closer,an0ther set of levers connected to the circuitopener, suitable means connecting the longitudinal bar with the two sets of levers whereby one set of the latter is operated when the bar is swung in one direction and the other set is operated when said bar is swung in the opposite direction, and means for returning the levers to their normal positions after they have been operated by the longitudinal bar.

A mechanism of the character described consisting of a centrally-notched longitudinal bar arranged to be swung endwise in either direction, a short bifurcated lever, a lever engaging the notch in the horizontal bar and the bifurcated lever, an electric switch having a circuit-closer and a circuit-opener, a set of levers connected to the circuit-closer and engaging one side of the bifurcated lever, another set of levers connected to the circuitopener and engaging the opposite side of the bifurcated lever, and means for normally holding each set of levers in engagement with the bifurcated lever.

ln testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses:

FREDERICK 1-1. GRAY.

Vitnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, J. Moonn. 

